Metallica

James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett of Metallica.

The colossus of heavy metal, Metallica is one of the most successful bands of all time, with eight Grammys, five straight-to-Number-1 albums, and 110 million records sold.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

The band formed in the L.A. suburbs in 1981, through an ad placed in the Recycler, a free paper with classifieds. "Primarily automobiles," Lars Ulrich told Anthony Mason. "But in the back there were musicians seeking bands, and bands seeking musicians."

Left: An early photo of original bassist Ron McGovney, guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Dave Mustaine of Metallica. Mustaine would leave the group to form another heavy metal band, Megadeth.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Drummer Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

The Danish-born Ulrich was originally planning to follow in his family's footsteps and become a tennis player. In 1973 in Copenhagen, players at a tournament were given free tickets to a Deep Purple concert. Ulrich, then nine, was "grabbed and taken to the concert," he told Anthony Mason.

"I saw lots of energy, spectacle. I saw something that was larger than life and something that seemed to unite the 3,000 or 4,000 people that were there into one. I'd never experienced anything like that before, but I knew that I wanted to be part of it."

"I loved tennis, and I loved music. I was so passionate about both. Music was sort of my escape away from the discipline of tennis."

Burton was brought on as bassist in 1982 to replace Ron McGovney. In 1983 Hammett joined, after Dave Mustaine was fired from the group.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

An early photo of James Hetfield, of the group Metallica.

Hetfield told Anthony Mason that in the early days the group went viral via cassette. "Once we started doing more and more local gigs, the tape trading thing was huge. That was a way of getting your music out, just like it is now on YouTube or whatever. You're able to get your music out there now, very easily. Back then it was, you'd make a demo on a cassette, you'd send it to the core people, they would network. You know, 'Hey, I sent it to my friend in Holland. He sent it to his friend in Germany who sent it on to --' and all of a sudden it just spread.

"It was doing its own work, 'cause everyone wanted to know the next cool band. There was a mystique about, 'What? They're from L.A.? And they play this kind of music? No way! Are you sure they're not from Europe?'"

Burton played on the group's first three albums -- "Kill 'Em All," "Ride the Lightning," and "Master of Puppets" -- before being killed in an accident in Sweden in 1986, when the band's bus turned over on a highway.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Bassist James Newsted (third from left) joined the band in 1986, following the death of Cliff Burton.

"Death, at that time, was something that was so surreal, so foreign," said Ulrich. "And when it did happen I don't think any of us dared look at it in the eyes."

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Left: Metallica performs.

Hetfield said the biggest break for the band came when they supported Ozzy Osbourne on the former Black Sabbath player's "Shot in the Dark Tour" in the mid-1980s.

"We toured the States with Ozzu Osbourne, opening up. And that was where we grasped a lot of fans. Obviously a lot of heavy metal fans were there from the Sabbath days and Ozzy's music. And so our fan base increased rapidly on that tour."

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett perform during Metallica's "And Justice for All" tour in 1988. It was the band's first tour following the death of bassist Cliff Burton.

The band was rattled by the departure in 2001 of Newsted. "When Jason left, we were not equipped to fully comprehend why," said Ulrich. " 'Why would Jason leave the biggest band in the world?' Then the cameras were rolling and, all of a sudden, life as we know it melted down."

It was all captured in the documentary, "Some Kind of Monster." It got so ugly the band's management called in a therapist.

"You guys are part of probably the most famous therapy session in rock 'n' roll," said Mason.

"Cool . . . I guess," laughed Hetfield.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Metallica in concert.

"Somebody who works with you, who works with bands a lot, said to me you're the hardest working band they've ever worked for," said Mason.

"That's good to hear," replied Hetfield. "We expect that from ourselves. I know there's a perfectionist part that can beat you down, but has also got us to where we are. And we attract that kind of personality in a crew member, in a fan, in a business partner. We attract a similar style of work ethic, and don't like to hear the word 'no.' And we treat people with respect that way as well. You work hard for us, and you get a lot of the benefits that the family has to offer."

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Metallica in concert.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Lars Ulrich of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

In 1999 Metallica recorded a live album with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Kamen, titled, "S&M."

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Bassist Robert Trujillo joined of Metallica in 2003.

"My first gig was at San Quentin State Penitentiary," Trujillo told Anthony Mason. "So that gives you an idea of -- it's like, 'Welcome to Metallica. You're gonna play a prison.'"

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Robert Trujillo of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

James Hetfield of Metallica.

"We have not been afraid of evolution," Hetfield told Mason. "I think in this business, especially in this genre of heavy metal, you're not really supposed to evolve or morph or accept change. And we have. We've always gone against the grain in pretty much everything we've done.

"So even within the heavy metal community, cutting your hair was one, writing a ballad -- there's been all of these things along the way that have broken that mold. So we are a different band."

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

Kirk Hammett of Metallica.

Credit: Courtesy of Metallica

In a scene from the new film, "Metallica Through the Never," the heavy metal band performs -- in Imax 3-D.

Credit: Picture House

Filming the Imax 3-D movie, "Metallica Through the Never."

"We've allowed ourselves to mature," said Hetfield. "You're not really supposed to grow up in this business and show your gray hairs, show your age, show your weaknesses; [we're] coming to terms with that. And the more honest we are about that to ourselves, the longer we can go."